Changing Country of Residence in the Post-MQD Era (Definitive)
#31
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: DL DM, AS MVP Gold 100K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 299
Off Topic but I'm still shocked how the NW/KL worked so great but now the DL/AF/KL is so horrid.
#32
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Happily living in Frenaros Cyprus having escaped the near-death experience called Sofia Bulgaria
Programs: Etihad Guest Gold, DL FO and 1MM, and a bunch of others at a low level
Posts: 2,052
Absolutely no difference in the Skymiles programm for europe based members - same number of flights/miles/segments needed for Qualification.
Same amount of miles needed for award travel BUT Delta is charging you an penalty for starting your award travel in europe, they call it "international originating surchage".
Same amount of miles needed for award travel BUT Delta is charging you an penalty for starting your award travel in europe, they call it "international originating surchage".
#33
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: DL DM, AS MVP Gold 100K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 299
But with the benefit of no MQDs for non-US memebers, this could change. Another "enhancement"?
#36
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tokyo
Programs: DL Diamond, ANA Platinum
Posts: 1,532
- Delta is a global airline. By default, a subset of its customers will be hopping around the globe all the time.
- Delta allows for multiple addresses to be registered onto accounts, most likely in light of the above fact.
- In the 21st century, it's improbable to completely leave one's original country behind.
- Delta charges for flights in the originating location's local currency. If I want to buy a domestic U.S. flight, of course I'm going to use a US credit card to avoid a surcharge. If I buy a HND-LAX-HND flight, I am going to use a Japanese credit card (learned this the hard way too).
- Even living in another country may not mean you can be completely integrated there. Foreigners in Japan are known to be rejected for credit cards they'd easily qualify for in their home country (out of higher standards or xenophobia or whatnot), so there's a need to maintain ties to the original country by having a credit card with a registered address there. Another reason someone may want to keep the U.S. address on file.
So yeah, you're right. It is about choosing what's most beneficial for you. Ideally, the MQD requirement would be applicable to every member worldwide, or wouldn't exist at all. But it's not, and a notable subset of DL's customers have an additional hoop to go through as a result.
#37
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
However, some who own property in multiple countries don't have their personal name on recurring bills of any sort in some or all of those countries, even when resident there more than anywhere (if anywhere) else.
Opening a new account may be easier than responding to every bureaucratic DL demand to change an address.
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Tokyo
Programs: DL Diamond, ANA Platinum
Posts: 1,532
Just wanted to update this post stating that my address request still has not been completed.
I contacted @DeltaAssist about it, and they say they needed to forward the request to "a different department" because my ID card is written in Japanese.
Apparently Delta's having a hard time finding a qualified bilingual who can take 30 seconds to simply crosscheck a Japan address written in both Kanji and the alphabet...
I contacted @DeltaAssist about it, and they say they needed to forward the request to "a different department" because my ID card is written in Japanese.
Apparently Delta's having a hard time finding a qualified bilingual who can take 30 seconds to simply crosscheck a Japan address written in both Kanji and the alphabet...
#39
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,628
If you book a flight originating in Europe, you get an extra "carrier imposed fee", usually 200-500 Euros on top of the taxes/fees.
#40
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Happily living in Frenaros Cyprus having escaped the near-death experience called Sofia Bulgaria
Programs: Etihad Guest Gold, DL FO and 1MM, and a bunch of others at a low level
Posts: 2,052
#41
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: DL DM 2MM, BA Bronze, Various Hotels
Posts: 10,187
I have my UK address in my account, but call the DM desk to book with my US credit card and not pay the foreign transaction fee if unpaid in GBP on DL.com.
#42
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046
Despite this, I often find ex-Europe fares are cheaper than ex-USA fares.
Correct. It is based on where the itinerary originates.
I have my UK address in my account, but call the DM desk to book with my US credit card and not pay the foreign transaction fee if unpaid in GBP on DL.com.
Correct. It is based on where the itinerary originates.
I have my UK address in my account, but call the DM desk to book with my US credit card and not pay the foreign transaction fee if unpaid in GBP on DL.com.
#43
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Santo Domingo, Dom. Rep. / Washington, DC
Programs: AA PPro/DL PLT, PPass, Marriott / Hilton Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Hertz Presidents Circle, Amex Plat
Posts: 4,628
Despite this, I often find ex-Europe fares are cheaper than ex-USA fares.
Correct. It is based on where the itinerary originates.
I have my UK address in my account, but call the DM desk to book with my US credit card and not pay the foreign transaction fee if unpaid in GBP on DL.com.
Correct. It is based on where the itinerary originates.
I have my UK address in my account, but call the DM desk to book with my US credit card and not pay the foreign transaction fee if unpaid in GBP on DL.com.
#44
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: PDX|AKL|AMS|GVA|AGP|CPT - or somewhere in between
Programs: DL DM; 2MM
Posts: 2,417
Thanks for your clear and informative post ^
After stumbling unto, it helped push me in the right direction after procrastinating and being indecisive as in what to do with the new SM requirements.
As an expat I might have more options as to whether give in to DL's MQD-era demands and wish someone could advise me accordingly.
Did your address change eventually get duly processed ?
After stumbling unto, it helped push me in the right direction after procrastinating and being indecisive as in what to do with the new SM requirements.
As an expat I might have more options as to whether give in to DL's MQD-era demands and wish someone could advise me accordingly.
Did your address change eventually get duly processed ?
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Anywhere I need to be.
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold, NEXUS, GE, ABTC/APEC, South Korea SES, eIACS, PP, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 16,046